House evacuation in Hebron - Special Report
Family’s father, Mohammed Knibi, being taken away.
The Hebron EAPPI-team today witnessed the evacuation of Mohammed Knibi’s family from a part of a house that had been renovated for this family by the Hebron Rehabilitation Committee (HRC) in the Suq-area of H2.
According to eyewitness information, the army had come to this house the day before and closed the two new rooms in question and taken the keys away. HRC had later provided the family with new keys, and the rooms were reopened and moved in.
In the morning, there were apparently two events. The first was the army coming into the house, and stopping the last of the HRC rehabilitation works. Secondly, at least one settler woman came with soldiers and insisted on visiting the new rooms. CPT-members also stated David Wilder had been present. The house is on the other side of the street from the Avraham Avinu Settlement, where the streets are the narrowest. The rooftops might be accessible directly from the settlement. We came to visit the family after this, at around 10:00.
Later, the EAPPI-team was alerted again, through ISM and a local as well. Around ten soldiers and four policemen were evacuating the families from the new rooms. All their furniture was taken out, and the father was forced out. ISM, CPT, and many locals were present, as well as some members of the press. One of the local ISM members got arrested while videoing the scene. Finally, on the request of the family, the army carried the furniture back in, before shutting the doors. The father was taken away. Half an hour later, the army came and welded the two doors shut.
</td></tr></tbody></table>The team’s analysis of this situation is that the evacuation was based on enforcing the security plan on the basis of the ’separation principle’ of the two communities, especially considering a police force massively understaffed for the highly troublesome Purim-fesitivities on Friday.
The objective was to prevent any contact and consequent problems between the two communities. By removing the family from ’new’ houses (from the settlers’ point of view) the possibility that settlers will come over is limited, especially since the doors are welded shut for them too. According to local ISM, all building permits were in order. This would support an interpretation of reasoning based on security.
Family’s father, Mohammed Knibi, being taken away.
